3 ways you can improve your customers online shopping experience

As the e-commerce market grows, so do consumers’ expectations for customer service and their overall buying experience. People want to feel like they are shopping in person, browse products at their own pace, read reviews and customer recommendations, and have a place they can go to have all of their questions answered without waiting too long. Here are three ways you can improve your customer's online shopping experience when they visit your e-commerce website.
 

#1 Ensure your website meets customer expectations
 

Firstly, you need to ensure that your website is up to scratch. You need to make sure it is easy to navigate and easily accessible for visitors. You don't want to unwittingly bypass a large number of potential customers because of a lack of inclusion on your part. 
 

    • Website loading time. This factor might be more important than you think. Ensure that your website is updated professionally to ensure that your website's loading speeds are as good as they can be. Doing this one thing can vastly decrease the bounce rate caused by people clicking away due to impatience waiting for your pages to load. With loading times now an important factor in Google rankings, this task needs to be right near the top of your to-do list.
 

    • Accessibility and language. Once the visitor sees your page, you need to ensure they can get what they need and it is accessible to them. This can be auditory help for those with impaired vision or the ability to change accurately between languages for visitors in various countries. Translation services offered by translation agencies are often the best approach to take for this purpose rather than something machine-generated, which might turn out not  making that much sense.
 

    • Aesthetics. Making your website look great can have a massive effect on the appeal of your business. Many people will click away simply because they do not like how a website looks, so getting it right can increase your website traffic and help people stay for longer. Customers are also more likely to trust a newer-looking website, which can be beneficial for your business. 
 

#2 Customer Reviews and Feedback
 

Every customer wants to see what other people have experienced with a company before, whether it be for a specific product, the whole purchasing experience, or the customer service. Feedback can have a massive effect on the trust that people put in your business and can be a huge deterrent if you don't have many reviews displayed. 
 

    • Be honest about questionnaire results. Showing your feedback questionnaire results and how you've improved might be a good decision. If you are particularly high-scoring in a particular area, it might be good to use this as a sales angle. Doing this can have a massive impact on your sales and customer review ratings and might even prompt more people to fill out questionnaires in the future.
 

    • Reply to reviews. Replying to customer reviews can help make the customer feel as though their voice has been heard. Responding to feedback can improve people's confidence in your company’s ability and willingness to solve issues and make their future experiences far better. If someone leaves a bad review, ask questions as to why they feel this way and how you can improve.
 

    • Have a 'frequently asked' page. Having a frequently asked page might reduce the number of general questions you get asked with in person. You can find this very useful if people use it and it might reduce the number of phone calls you get if there is a frequently recurring question that’s answered thoroughly.
 

#3 Make shopping easier
 

This might seem like a bit of an all-encompassing concept, but it means that you should make your website easy to navigate and hassle-free. By doing this, you can have a positive effect on customers and keep them coming back for additional purchases. Making shopping easier isn't just about the purchasing process either; it's about discounts, promo codes, and even customer loyalty points.
 

    • Promote bundles to encourage people to buy more. Having a three for the price of two or a similar deal on services or items that sell the best can be a great way of getting your sales up and making the customer feel as though they got an excellent deal. 
 

    • Use discount codes to win over a bigger audience. Using discount codes when you're appealing to a potential audience on your business' social media platforms or via an advertising campaign can be a great way of getting your business noticed and securing new clients.
 

    • Reward loyalty with premium deals. Rewarding loyalty with deals can be a great way of making your business' shopping experience far more repeatable and enjoyable. Importantly, this can help bring back any other previous buyers and increase your sales of certain items you might have that they might be interested in.